Evidently he had some scheme which he was considering.
He said nothing, but spent fully a half hour in his self-imposed task, during which Fred stood in the background, trying to make out what he was driving at.

He saw that Mickey was so intently occupied that he was scarcely conscious of the presence of any one else, and he did not attempt to disturb him.

Suddenly the Celt roused himself from his abstraction, and, turning to the expectant lad, abruptly asked: "Do you know, me laddy, that it is dinner-time ?" "I feel as though it was, but we have no means of judging the time, being as neither of us carries a watch." "Come on," added the Irishman, leading in the direction of the camp-fire.

"I'm sorry I didn't bring my watch wid me, but the trouble was, I was afeard that it might tire out my horse, for it was of goodly size.

The last time it got out of order, it took a blacksmith in the owld country nearly a week to mend it.